A quality hunt is one with JJ. I hunted with him last year and shot excellent animals, Kudu gemsbok and two impala. Friends hunted with a different outfitter this past August in the Limpopo area. None of their same animals can compare to mine. JJ is the best and I hope to hunt in South Africa with him again.
Thanks,
Silver Bear
So, in other words, to you it is all about the size of the animal killed, I sure hope you don't discredit your friends' harvests, and belittle them by telling them they wasted their money because they didn't shoot an animal as big as yours. I understand a quality guide/pro hunter can make for a better experience though, and what makes you happy is all that matters, I just hope you don't talk down to those that do it for other reasons.
For me, it is the thrill factor, the interaction between hunter and hunted. It wouldn't matter if I was dreaming of hunting lion in Africa, or out after a coyote in my backyard. It is the passion you have for your quarry that triggers the adrenaline rush, buck fever ensues. (or lion fever, elk fever etc...) That rush is it, and if it ends in a harvest great, if it doesn't, you still have the memory of that brain hazing moment. Heart beating intensely, senses heightened, tunnel vision hits with an intense focus on your quarry, it's go time.
Some panic, a lesson learned, others rise to the moment, deep breath, focus, 1 shot to decide the fate of that majestic creature, squeeze don't pull, 1 shot, I got this.
It is about the interaction, the call is where this comes into play for me. Now it's on me to bring the animal in, error in the slightest way and opportunity blown, but get it right and they come on a string. This interaction, the back and forth, intelligently outwitting my quarry and fooling them into coming my way, attention to detail, knowing on this day, in this moment, I went mano a mano and came out victorious.
This is the hunt, all culminating to bring about the harvest. The end result, the animal taken is just a symbol for the experience, my hunt doesn't remind me of the animal killed, the animal killed reminds me of my hunt.
